1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a holster for a handgun and, more specifically, a holster including a size-adjustable pocket and a clip for securing the holster to the wearer's clothing.
2. Description of Related Art
Holsters intended for discreetly carrying a defensive handgun have been in existence since guns were first made small enough for concealed carry. Today, such holsters are used both by plainclothes or off duty police officers and by an increasing number of private citizens who have felt a need to take precautions to ensure their safety.
Most people who carry a handgun prefer to carry it at belt level, positioned on or slightly behind the strong side hip. A few prefer to carry the gun on or slightly in front of the weak side hip, commonly known as crossdraw carry.
One of the most popular styles of concealment holsters is the inside waistband holster. Such holsters are worn inside the waistband of the wearer's pants, slightly behind the strong side hip, with only the upper lip of the holster and grip of the gun protruding from the pants. A belt clip or loop secures the holster to the wearer's belt. The top of the holster is covered by a jacket, sweater, or untucked shirt. This type of holster is especially popular with police, because the draw from this type of holster is very similar to the draw from a duty holster, providing for simplified training and practice.
To be truly useful, such a holster must be able to perform several functions well. First, it must be easily concealed to avoid unnecessarily alarming casual observers, which is accomplished in part by keeping the thickness of the holster's leather to a minimum. Second, it must be comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Third, it must hold the gun securely in place. Fourth, it must provide quick access to the gun so that the wearer can respond properly to unexpected emergencies. All of the above functions are most easily accomplished when the holster is properly fitted to the gun to be carried.
Current holsters are generally one of two types: those precisely molded to the gun they are intended to carry, and those intended to fit any gun within a certain size range. The first category generally works very well, but is expensive and only available for the more popular types of handguns. The second generally uses a nonadjustable pocket with an adjustable safety strap, which works well only for a narrow size range. If the selected handgun is a less common type, such as a derringer, neither type of holster may be available. If one of several different handguns is selected, the need for at least one holster per handgun results in a large expense.
In addition to the above types of holsters, several others have been proposed, as described below. However, the present inventor is aware of no other holster which is useable both with a wide variety of guns and, equally importantly, in a wide variety of carry positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,617, issued to W. A. Villwock on Nov. 14, 1961, describes a holster having a front seam secured with magnets, and with snap fasteners. When the need for a fast draw is foreseen, the snap fasteners are unfastened, so that the gun can be drawn through the magnets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,676, issued to Michael A. Stern on Feb. 24, 1987, describes a firearm safety apparatus. The firearm safety apparatus is an elastic band fitting over the trigger guard and breech of a gun.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,383, issued to Richard N. Gallagher on Jul. 11, 1989, describes a holster having a flexible spine for snugly accommodating a handgun from a selected range of sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,625, issued to Peter W. Lucia on Jul. 18, 1989, describes a vacuum bottle holder. The vacuum bottle holder includes a resilient open cylindrical band and a belt loop, and may include a bottom strut for supporting the bottom of the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,684, issued to Carole Chinman on Nov. 21, 1989, describes a wrapper for articles having a central area with a plurality of wing sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,320, issued to Eugene DeSantis et al. on Oct. 30. 1990, describes a simulated pouch with an interior concealed holster. The holster is reversibly mounted within the pouch with hook and loop fasteners.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,321, issued to Wade S. Outlaw on Oct. 30, 1990, describes an adjustable holster for pistol type power tools. The holster includes a flexible sheet material having an upper and lower adjustable strap, secured with hook and loop material so that it forms a loop around the sheet material. The holster also includes a pair of belt loops.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,447, issued to George Bumb et al. on Apr. 13, 1993, describes a quick release holster having a U-shaped retainer for carrying on a belt, and a pair of flexible straps for securing a pistol. The straps connect to the holster by hook and loop fasteners, and to each other by snaps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,237, issued to Richard G. Bennett on Dec. 2, 1997, describes a weapon concealment system. The concealment system is a garment such as a jacket having a panel joined to its inside front along one edge, forming a hinged joint. The panel conceals a holster secured to the jacket by hook and loop fasteners.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,341, issued to Daniel A. Saylor on Mar. 17, 1998, describes a boot holster.
U.K. Pat. No. 128,476, published on Jun. 26, 1919, describes a holster having a belt loop stitched to the top flap, so that, when the top flap is released, the weight of the gun pulls the holster downward, pulling the flap upward.
U.K. Pat. No. 913,758, published on Dec. 28, 1962, describes a holster. The holster is made by folding the sides of the blank so that they overlap the center of the blank, and then securing the sides together.
United States design patents related to holsters include U.S. Pat. No. Des. 292,751, issued to Robert W. Remington on Nov. 17, 1987, showing a combined assault pistol holster and belt; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 358,705, issued to Nicholas R. Saggese, Jr. on May 30, 1995, showing an ankle wallet.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.